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Blackburrow
Blackburrow is the ancestral home of The Sabertooth Gnolls, a gnoll clan that has been feuding with the city of Qeynos for hundreds of years. Dug out underneath what was once the Everfrost Peaks, Blackburrow was historically the easiest way to pass through the mountain range on the journey between Qeynos and Halas. As such, it was also a popular destination for young adventurers from those two cities. Lore Blackburrow is synonymous with the Sabertooth gnoll clan, the dominant gnoll clan on Karan. Using their keen sense of smell, the Saberooth were the first to discover Blackburrow and the ore held within, presumably coal. When a gnoll finds a place it like or wants it is perfectly happy to stay there forever - and that's just what the Sabertooth did. For centuries the gnolls continued to expand Blackburrow, digging ever-deeper and wider. Soon, the intricate tunnel system that they had created became more than just a resource-rich mine, it held great strategic value. Humans, Barbarians and Ogres would all attempt to rest control of Blackburrow from the Sabertooth, yet through innate gnollish cleverness, the Sabertooth always found a way to regain control. Even Norrath itself attempted to rid Blackburrow of the Sabertooth, also to no avail: Although the current Blackburrow pales in comparison to it's former magnitude, the tunnels within still boast a healthy Sabertooth population and plenty of ore to go with them. Gnolls are pack animals, thus, if any foolhardy adventurer dares to explore this place, they better be ready for a fight. Geography Layout Blackburrow is split into three levels; with the top level suitable for solo adventurers and the deeper sections requiring a group or mercenary: *The top level consists of an outdoor grassy area, Sabertooth Mine, and Collapsed Everfrost Tunnel, the tunnel that used to lead to Everfrost which is now a flooded dead-end. *The second level is the main stronghold of the Sabertooth, where they keep the bulk of their forces and their treasury. *The lowest level consists of two main parts: spider-infested caves and The Blackburrow Brewery. There is also a hidden underwater cave where two quest-giving NPCs can be found. Entrances There are three entrances to Blackburrow, all from Antonica: *The 'front door' leads to the top level. It is found against the mountains making Antonica's southern border at: *The 'back door' leads to the second level. To find it, adventurers must swim out to Memorial Isle off Antonica's southern coast, cross a bridge made of a fallen tree and then travel down a canyon to a hidden valley with a door to Blackburrow: *The 'hidden entrance' leads to The Blackburrow Brewery on the bottom level. It can be found at after swimming through an underwater cave. Exits There are three exits from Blackburrow, all to Antonica: *Top level: *Middle level: *Bottom level: Quests :''See: Blackburrow Timeline Blackburrow doesn't have a timeline per se - a few quest NPCs in Antonica will send players into Blackburrow for various reasons. The majority of quests in Blackburrow are from dropped items. Collections *Cracked bone fragments collection *Shattered bone fragments collection *Halas coins collection *Pristine shards collection *Scuffed shards collection Similar Zones ! Zone Name ! Level Range ! Region ! Notes |- | Wailing Caves | 10-20 | Shattered Lands | Equivalent dungeon for Evil-aligned players |} Additional Notes *The gnolls in Blackburrow have much wider social ranges than aggro ranges meaning that pulling them carelessly can lead to the whole room attacking. This is especially the case on the second level where the gnolls are often packed closely together. Learning to body-pull is a must. *As far as quests and gear goes, Blackburrow is almost entirely obsolete. However, it has a number of named monsters and is a decent AA grind at early levels.